Information Technology High School

Transcription

[intro music] >> Narrator: Let me tell you a story. An angry father calls a manager at the local Target. Recently, the daughter of this father received ads in the mail for baby supplies. >> Father: My daughter is only in high school! You shouldn't be sending her ads for baby supplies. What kind of message does that send to my daughter? >> Narrator: The manager apologizes to the father for Target's mistake. A week later the father calls the manager again. The father apologizes to the Target manager. Turns out the father's teenage daughter was pregnant. So how did the Target know the daughter was pregnant before the father did? Did secret Target employees follow the daughter around? A Crystal ball? The answer is big data analysis. So what is big data? Well, every day you do things. You might go to the grocery store, or surf the internet, or even just play around on your smart phone. Data is being collected about everything you do. And since data is being collected on so many people with so many activities, this data gets big. Really big. This big data is analyzed with information technology to identify trends. Target figured out this girl was pregnant by analyzing all the supplies she was buying and predicted she was pregnant. Target could also predict how far along this girl was in her pregnancy. Kind of creepy but definitely cool. When we hear stories like this, it's easy to see the amazing things information technology can accomplish. Technologies like databases and data analytics tools allow businesses to do powerful things. Two examples you may be familiar with: Netflix uses information technology to suggest movies you might like to watch. Amazon uses information systems to identify items you may want to purchase. Basically, technology allows companies to be more efficient and make more money. But information technology is not limited to the realm of business. The New York fire department is also using big data to find answers to their questions. They have identified 60 different variables which correlate to fires starting. The age of the building and whether the building has electrical issues being but two of them. Hazardous buildings are identified with data analytical techniques and fire inspectors are dispatched. So IT helps fire inspections be performed more efficiently and cities become safer. This translates into lives and properties being saved. So who powers Target's world class advertising algorithms, Netflix's recommendation system or helps New York firefighters keep the city safe? The IT professional. So let's discuss why you should consider a career in information technology. IT is doing a lot of good for the world and making communities better, safer places to live. In the examples I've shared, you can see how a career in IT can actually save lives. As an IT expert you'll be able to come home from work knowing you made your community a better place. The second reason to consider a career in IT is all the vast opportunities and job security which will help you sleep easy at night. That's because data is growing at an exponential rate. Employers are already finding it difficult to recruit the IT experts needed to fill all their positions. With businesses and organizations becoming more and more dependent on information technology, you will become more and more in demand as an IT expert. With that demand you have the opportunity to make more money than most of your friends who earned degrees in accounting, finance, or business administration. By mid-career you'll be able to take home a six-figure salary in your nice car, to your nice home, with your student loans paid off long ago. The last reason you should consider an IT career is there is a job for every personality type. This is because technology is so broad, there is room for multiple skill sets. If you like marketing, you can do data analysis for the marketing department. If you like being creative, you can become a web developer. If you like people, you can become an IT manager. If you don't like people, well, you can put on your headphones, listen to death metal, and code all day. So join the IT field. You will get a career where you can help people and make a difference. You will get a career where you can make a great living and find plenty of opportunities. And the best part? You'll get a career you'll really enjoy. [outro music]